72-yr-old crusader to contest 22nd election

The 72-year-old crusader will contest his 22nd election this year. (Illustration: Jayanto)

To say that Titar Singh is a battle-hardened veteran is an understatement.

At 72, Singh will be contesting his 22nd election in a few weeks, yet another step in his never-ending quest for justice for the downtrodden.

He is among a select few in the country who have been contesting elections year after year, not just to become an MP or MLA.On Thursday, Singh filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Ganganagar Lok Sabha seat.

His fight for justice, Singh said, started 40 years ago when he had asked the government to allot land to landless Dalits.

The government, he said, did give land but only to prosperous landlords. "The poor Dalits were left high and day," he said.This prompted him to contest elections with the hope that he would win and provide justice to the downtrodden.

He is, however, yet to win a single election.

Singh said that leaders make tall promises at the time of contesting elections but forget all after the polls.